Part 2

A revolt of the captive Africans during their voyage to America fails despite the deaths of the ship's first officer and many of the ship's crew. Upon their arrival in Annapolis, Maryland after the harrowing 3 month journey across the Atlantic Ocean, the survivors are cleaned up and are taken away for auction. Kunta Kinte is eventually sold to the Reynolds plantation in Spotsylvania, Virginia, where he befriends an American-born slave named Fiddler.moreless

Quotes (4)

Kunta Kinte: I'm a Mandinka warrior!Fiddler: (at a horse) Horse! I hear tell that you ain't a horse at all. I hear tell that you think you a mighty crow! I hear tell that you fly from here 'bouts all the way to Annapolis and back again. Now horse... you look mighty like a horse to me. And you sure smells mighty like a horse. So I'm saying to you, that you..is..a horse! What you think you is don't matter a damn bit!

Fiddler: (tearfully ministering to Kunta after his near-fatal whipping) There gonna be another day. You hear me? There gonna be another day!

Fiddler: (musing to himself after Kunta Kinte escapes from the plantation) What it like to be free, African? What it like? Must be somethin' special.

Fiddler: (to Kunta Kinte) Now don't you make no trouble now. Ain't gonna hurt you. You just stay quiet now. You belongs to Massa Reynolds now, that's all there is to it. There ain't no more in Africa, Guinea man. Now you listen to ole Fiddler if you wants to keep alive. You in America now.

Notes (3)

Ernest Kinoy and William Blinn won an Emmy in 1977 for "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series" for their writing credit for Part 2 of Roots.

Lou Gossett, Jr. won an Emmy in 1977 for "Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series" for his role as "Fiddler" in Part 2 of Roots.

LeVar Burton has noted that it took 2 takes, done 3 days apart, to film the final version of the whip scene where his character Kunte Kinte was strung up with a rope and whipped in order to force him to say his new name "Toby". This was because during the initial take, he would instinctively flinch each time the whip was about to make contact. After spending time with the expert whip handler and observing some of the handler's show performances, they were finally able to successfully film what would become the final cut of the scene.

Trivia (1)

After Kunta Kinte wakes up in the snow after escaping from Mr. Reynolds, the "snow" is very obviously foam.